Watering Your New Sod

When laying sod, it is very important to water thoroughly as needed to keep it healthy and thriving. Water is most critical during the first several weeks as the roots are trying to grow into the soil. Determining exactly how often you should water your new sod may depend on several factors, such as the time of year and the amount of rainfall we receive. But listed below are some helpful tips for watering newly laid sod.

• Water your sod thoroughly the day it is installed. It is best to use a lawn sprinkler that covers a large area with an even distribution of water. Soak the entire area until all of the sod and the soil below are fully saturated. To ensure you are applying enough water, we recommend placing an empty can (with straight sides) within the area you are covering. Once the can collects ½” of water, you know that you have applied enough water.

• It is typically a good idea to water the sod again the second day and perhaps even the third day, especially during warmer weather. Since the ground should be sufficiently moist from the previous days' watering, you should only need to apply ¼” of water on the second and third days. Some turf professionals recommend doing some degree of watering each day for the first 10 days to keep the sod moist. Depending on the weather, this may or may not be necessary, but you definitely do not want the sod to dry out while trying to get it established.

• Generally speaking, after watering thoroughly for three days in a row, you can probably withhold water to the sod for a day or two. If we are experiencing especially hot and dry weather, you can do some light watering to cool the sod down. Again, our main goal is to make sure the sod does not dry out. Be sure to water if the sod is wilting or turning color.

• After a day or two with little or no water, thoroughly soak the sod again with ½” of water. From this point, keep the sod sufficiently moist by watering as needed every 2-3 days for the next couple of weeks. Monitor the moisture content of the sod and soil beneath as you progress. Depending on the weather conditions, you may need to adjust this schedule.

• Your new sod should have roots extending a few inches into the soil within four weeks. At this point, the frequency of watering can be reduced. However, your lawn is not completely established and will continue to require watering 1-2 times each week. If the weather is hot and dry, water twice weekly. If it is cool (70 degrees F or lower) watering once a week should be sufficient.

• After several months, your sod should be established and you should water the lawn as you normally would. We recommend providing at least 1" of water each week. If this comes from natural rainfall, no watering should be necessary. In the absence of adequate rainfall, apply 1" of water once a week or ½” of water twice a week.